Four-Ball: Bubba's legacy and Riviera implosions

The enigma that is Bubba Watson now owns nine PGA Tour victories -- including two major championships -- after his 1-shot victory Sunday at the Northern Trust Open.

So how many victories are in the left-hander's future? And has Adam Scott put the putting questions behind him after finishing runner-up at Riviera?

Our scribes weigh in on those topics and more in this week's edition of Monday Four-Ball.

If Bubba Watson is in control of all aspects of his game, is there any reason to question whether he can rack up more PGA Tour victories? Harry How/Getty Images

1. At 12 wins, are you taking the over or the under on Bubba Watson career victories?

SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie: Over. He's already won nine tournaments since his first in 2010 at the Travelers. In that span, two of his nine wins are majors. Anyone who collects multiple green jackets, in addition to other victories in a short amount of time, isn't done winning.

SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: I am going with the over. Watson seems more uncomfortably comfortable than at any time of his career. He shows up at the same tournaments he likes every year, but now I believe he can adapt to those he doesn't like. I think he will win a couple more times this year. He is motivated and wants to show the "big four" that there is more to golf than just them. He made a statement with Rory McIlroy in the field Sunday.

ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: Over. Barring injury, it will take years for his power to be matched by the field. I think Watson will win at least five more times within the next five years. I'm starting to believe he says some things knowing they'll infuriate people because it will motivate him to feel like everyone is against him. Crazy like a fox?

ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: The over. There is no reason to believe Watson won't win several more times. He could do it this year. It does take a lot of things to come together, but when his attitude is correct and he putts even just reasonably well, Watson is a force.

ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: He has backed off his past assertion that he'll retire if he ever gets to 10, so as long as he keeps playing, I'll take the over. Five years ago, I never would have taken Bubba for the closer he has become. He's admittedly jittery; he calls himself a head case. And yet, put it all together and somehow it works down the stretch.

2. Adam Scott: Stick with the short putter or go back to the broomstick and putt like Bernhard Langer?

Barrie: Stick with the short putter. Other than a couple of bad misses, Scott seems to be taking to the short stick. With more tournaments, he'll get more comfortable. And if his ballstriking continues the way it did this week, most of those putts won't be too long.

With birdies on two of his last three holes Sunday, 54-hole leader Bubba Watson claimed his second Northern Trust Open title in three years by a shot over Adam Scott and Jason Kokrak.

2 Related

Coachman: I thought Scott putted great Sunday and looked very smooth. Any other week, he would have won. He should stay with this stroke. The more he does it, the better he is going to putt. He has clearly put in the work to get to this point. It is working. Keep doing it.

Collins: I don't think his putting is any worse using the short putter, and now that he's come close to winning with it... That being said, it took Langer all of three starts to get that first win and he top-10'd the other two! Scott should at least call Langer (sooner rather than later) to talk about his approach. For now, stick with the short putter.

Harig: Stick with the short putter. Scott won a lot of tournaments with it before switching to the broom putter. And he struggled mightily with an anchored stroke, which is why this change should have been viewed more positively. The problem: He has issues with short-range putts no matter the putter.

Sobel: I took to social media Sunday afternoon to defend Scott's future with a standard putting stroke for the umpteenth time -- only to receive plenty of backlash from golf fans who somehow believe that finishing in second place doesn't prove he can putt. I don't know what it'll take to convince everyone, but I'll be here saying, "told ya so" when it happens.

Barrie: McIlroy's 75 on Sunday. Although Spieth's Thursday was surprising, Rory seemed to have control of his game all week. And after seeing him crush his drive on the par-5 first hole Sunday, follow that up with an iron to reach in the green in two, then eagle, I thought he'd win. To then card seven bogeys the rest of the way shocked me.

Coachman: This is easy. Spieth's 79. After his final-round 66 at Pebble, I thought that would springboard him into a great week at a course he loves. His second round of 3-under-par 68 was more what I expected. As for McIlroy, once he fell behind by 6 to the guy he was playing with, Adam Scott, I think he got very disinterested. It happens, especially on Sunday.

Collins: McIlroy's 75 on Sunday. After putting himself in position to win the tournament, seeing the former world No. 1 eagle the first hole, then train-wreck his way around with seven bogeys and zero birdies the next 16 holes was extremely disconcerting. Personally, I was hoping Rory would make a big statement with his play this week in trying to get back to the top. His statement Sunday says he's not ready to do that yet.

Harig: McIlroy's 75. These things are going to happen to both players, but Rory really seemed poised to pounce. He played well throughout the week, gained confidence at a Riviera course that was new to him and was right there on the front nine, only to implode. It was tough to see that coming.

Sobel: It has to be Spieth's 79. He entered this tournament after finding his swing on Sunday at Pebble Beach, and Riviera is one of his favorite courses. I picked him to win. Everything went wrong for him Thursday, and even he didn't know why, exactly. As for McIlroy, he told me after the final round that he just needs to clean up some mistakes but that his swing feels good right now.

4. What was the best individual performance of the West Coast Swing?

Barrie: It's still Brandt Snedeker at the Farmers Insurance Open. The wind and weather was the worst we've seen in a long time. His masterful 69 on Sunday is still the round of the year.

Coachman: For me, it was Vaughn Taylor. Most people don't understand what it is like to play with the pressure of your career directly on your back. To fly from South America, and having no tour card for almost four years, the only guarantee for the next week is a top-10 finish. He had the round of his career, and the emotion showed it. He might not win again for a long time, but at least he has a job for the next almost three years. And that is fantastic.

Collins: If the West Coast Swing includes the fall events, then Smylie Kaufman in Las Vegas... For me, the West Coast Swing starts after Hawaii, though, and in that case Taylor is a runaway victor. He improved his score every round and played his best when it mattered most, knowing he needed a strong finish just to have somewhere to play this last week. That's a strength of game and character.

Harig: Taylor's final round at Pebble Beach and victory had the most impact on any player, but Snedeker's final round at Torrey Pines was the best. A 69 in cold, windy conditions that saw three halts of play and nobody else break 72? He came from well behind and posted a number, and nobody else could match it. Impressive stuff.

Sobel: I'm going really far west for the answer to this one. Spieth took it so deep at Kapalua that he posted a 30-under total for 72 holes. Snedeker's winning round in ridiculous conditions at Torrey Pines will wind up being one of the rounds of the year, but for overall four-day performance, I'll stick with Spieth.